The Road to the Kentucky Derby officially begins Saturday at Churchill Downs as nine juvenile prospects, led by Saratoga Special (Grade II) and Sanford (GIII) runner-up Mr. Z, go to post in the 33rd running of the $100,000-added Iroquois (Grade III) – the nation’s first two-turn graded stakes race on dirt for 2-year-olds.

Multiple Grade I-winner On Fire Baby seeks to return to her top form Saturday at Churchill Downs against a tested field of five other fillies and mare, including graded stakes winners Molly Morgan and Don’t Tell Sophia, in the 31st running of the $100,000-added Locust Grove.

Multiple stakes winner Carve puts his three-race win streak on the line Saturday at Churchill Downs in the 22nd running of the $100,000-added Ack Ack Handicap (Grade III) against a compact but competitive field of five older horses that includes recent Grade II runner-up Bradester and comebacker Flashback.

The names of 60 promising 2-year-old stars are included on the rosters of horses nominated to compete in the $200,000-added Pocahontas (Grade II) for 2-year-old fillies and the $100,000-added Iroquois (GIII) for 2-year-olds, races that will kick-off their respective “Road to the Kentucky Oaks” and “Road to the Kentucky Derby” s

The $500,000 Los Alamitos Futurity (Grade I) has been added to the list of races that comprise the 2014-15 “Road to the Kentucky Derby.” The series of 35 select races – 19 “Prep Season” races and 16 “Championship Series” races – will determine which horses qualify to the 141st running of the $2 million guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum!

The second September Meet in the 140-year history of Churchill Downs Racetrack will offer a eight stakes races with total purses of $925,000 during a 12-day run topped by a pair of important stakes events for 2-year-olds who have their eyes on the Breeders’ Cup World Championships and racing’s spring classics, and the return of the $125,000-added Homecoming Classic, a race for 3-year-olds and u

Favored Silver Max returned from nearly seven months on the sidelines with style as he led from the start to collect the 10th stakes triumph of his career in a 1 ½-length victory under jockey Robby Albarado in Saturday’s 25th running of the $224,800 Firecracker (GII) for 3-year-olds and up at one mile on the turf at Churchill Downs.

Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt’s Cinco Charlie set a pressured pace and shook off a challenge by Silverhill in deep stretch to edge clear for a 1 ¾-length victory in Saturday’s 113th running of the $108,100 Bashford Manor (Grade III) at Churchill Downs.

Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt’s Cinco Charlie, a tantalizing prospect that trail-blazed his way to a swift 2 ¾-length victory in his career debut, headlines a field of six juveniles entered Saturday at Churchill Downs for the 113th running of the $100,000-added Bashford Manor (Grade III), the year’s first open graded stakes race for 2-year-olds.